Paper holder for writing machines



March 29, 1960 E. G. ISRAELsoN PAPER HOLDER FOR WRITING MACHINES Filed March 31, 1958 2,930,468 PAPER HOLDER Fon WRITING MACHINEs Applicatisn March 31, 1958, Serial No. 725,253 Claims. (Cl. 197-138) This invention relates to a paper holding means for the platen carriage of a typewriter or the like,and in particular to bail means that can be adjusted to various positions of use.

The paper holding bail of atypewriter is usually adinstable to a number of different positions by the typist to afford easy and quick access to the platen for the replacement of the paper, the correction vof errors in typing and paper positioning and aligning operations.

l The objects of the present invention include the provision of a paper bail mechanism that will have a small .5; rates Pate`v 't ICC opposite ends of the platen 1t),l are connected by brackets 16 to a cross bar 17 on the carriage, andA are also joined to each other by a tie rod 18.

' g The bail 13 is of identical construction at itsv opnumber of operating parts so that the overall dimensions of the platen carriage can be kept ata minimum and so that the necessary opening in the paper table, through which the bail operating parts swing, can be made as narrow as possible in order not to present obstructions which would interfere with the ready insertion of the paper about the platen, detract from the appearance of the paper carriage, or allow the litter of erasing to fall into the mechanism of the machine.

The novel features whichare believed t'o be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, togetherwith` furtherv objects and advantages thereof, will bebetter understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which an embodiment of the invention is illustratedby way of` example. It is to be understood, however, that the drawing is for the-purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

Figure l is a top View of the paper bail assembly illustrated in relation to the platen of a writing machine, the associated paper table and carriage structure being shown in outline,

Figure 2 is a view in end elevation taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 and showing the paper bail in the normal paper holding position,

.y Figure '3 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing the paper bail in another adjusted position to allow for lpaper adjustment and erasure and,

platen of a writing machine, such' as a typewriter, which is mounted in the usual platen carriage 11 across which rextends a paper table 12 disposed rearwardly of the thereto. The paper bail, lindicatedgenerally. as at 1.3,y

posite ends and includes bail arms 19 Awhich are conf' nected Yat their forwardends by a scale bar 21, of reetangular cross-sectional shape, bearing on one face a suitable type scale 22 and carrying holding rolls 23 which are slidably adjustable lengthwise of said' scale bar, for pressure engagement with paper carried on the platen. The paper table 12, disposed obliquely vbehind the platen, is provided with suitable openings or slots through which the operating parts of the paper ybail 13'swing during various movements of the bail, as will beflater explained. One ofthe objects of the invention is to keep the openings as small as possible and to this'y end the assembled parts of the bail have been made as coinV pact as possible. At each end of the platen, the mounting plate.' 14 is provided with upper, lower and rear limit studs 24, 2 5 and 26, respectively, for limiting the throw of a carrier arm 27 pivoted as at 28- in its'lowe'r end`2'9', to the plate 14. The carrier 27 has pivoted thereto fat its upper end, as at 31, the bail arm 19 of the paper bail 13 andv adjacent its mid-portionV pivotally suppor`tsas Vat 32, a latching cam lever 33 of bell-crank shape.lr

The lower end of the vertical arm 34of the latch lever 33 is connected by a tension spring 36 with a suitable stud 37 extending from the plate 14 and the horizontal arm 38 is shaped to provide, along its upper edge, a pressure camming surface 39 terminating at the free end of the arm in a dwell 41, which ca m surface and dwell coact with ay cam study or roller 42 on the bail arml1r9 to yieldably hold the latter, in different plositions of adjustment, by the pressure applied by thespring n 36. The cam lever 33 also carries on the inner' face an arcuate cam projection 46 providing at` therinne'r reach thereof a lock point 47 in which theupperlirnit stud 24 seats when the bail is drawn forwardto `the Figure 4 position. This position is further defined by contact of the upper forward edge of the 'carriervarm 2 with the stud 24. j

In the operation of the device it will befnoted that, during typing, the parts will be in the paper holding position depicted in Figure 2 at which position the spring 36 is pulling on lever 33 to exert paper holding pressure on the rollers 23 through the studs 42, 43 and bailarm 19. The force applied at pivot pin 32 will maintain the rearredge of the carrier arm 27 against the detent stud'26. When it is necessary to adjust the paper about the platen or make an erasure, the scale bar 21 can be pulled forward causing forward swing of the arm 27 about its pivot 28 and against theresistance of the spring until. the cam protrusion 46rides over the stud 24 to raise thearm 19 to unseat the stud 42 from ldwell 41 and cause it to ride along 'the cam surface 39, under spring pressure, untll the stud 24V seats in theV lock point 47 to yieldably retain the bailin the adjusted position shown in Figui-a3,

Patented. Man, 29,196.9

After the adjustment or erasure, a push rearwardly on the bar 21 will ride the projection 45 over the stud 24 and cause the parts to automatically assume their Figie 2 position when the carrier 27 limits against the stud When typing is nished and the paper is to be replaced, the bar 21 and its bail arms 19 are raised to the Figure 4 position against the resistance offered to the travel of the stud 42 along the cam surface 39 of the latch lever 33 by spring pressure on the latter. The bail will be held in its raised position until it is pulled forward about its pivot 31 to assume the Figure 2 position or may swing with the carrier 27 about the pivot 28 of the latter, as shown in outline in Figure 3, until the carrier abuts the stud 24. A continued pull on the bail will place it in the Figure 3 position or, with a slight rearward push, it will assume the paper holding position of Figure 2.

An important object of the invention is carried out by the relation of the parts 19, 27 and 33 in that the single spring 36, through the force applied by cam surface 39 on cam stud 42 and by detent stud 43 on the edge of bail 19 through the pivot 32 as a fulcrum. serves to hold the bail in any of several positions of adjustment as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 without the necessity of providing notched plates, pin-in-a-slot connections of the kind commonly used, or other devices that complicate the structure, make it so bulky as to require a large opening in the paper table, and increase the cost of manufacture.

While I have described what I consider to be a highly desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that .changes in form could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown or described nor to anything less than the whole of my invention as hereinbefore set forth, and as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with the platen of a typewriter or the like, of plate means mounted at opposite ends of the platen, carrier means pivoted to each plate means, stop means on each plate means for limiting the forward and rearward swing of said carrier means, bail means Apivoted to said carrier means, spring biased latch means presenting a cam surface for applying pressure to said bail means at different positions of adjustment of the latter and platen engaging means carried by said bail means.

2. In a writing machine or the like including a platen, support means at opposite ends of the platen, carrier means pivoted on said support means, stop means for limiting pivotal movement of said carrier means, platen engaging bail means pivoted to said carrier means for movement with the carrier means as a unit and for movement relatively to said carrier means when the latter is limited in its movement'by said stop means, said relative movement of the bail means providing a plurality of positions of adjustment of the latter with respect to said platen, means on said bail means defining a seat for one of said stop means for detaining said bail means in one position of adjustment, and spring biased latch means for yieldably resisting movement of the bail means to unseat said stop means.

3. In a writing machine or the like including a platen, support means at opposite ends of the platen, carrier means pivoted on said support means, stop means for limiting pivotal movement of said carrier means, platen engaging bail means pivoted to said carrier means for movement with the carrier means as a unit and for movement relatively to said carrier means when the latter is limited in its movement by said stop means, said relative movement of the bail means providing a plurality of positions of adjustment of the latter with respect to said platen, and spring biased latch means associated with saidl carrier means and said bail means, for yieldably holding the latter in contact with said platen in one position of adjustment.

4. In a writing machine or the like including a platen, support means at opposite ends of the platen, carrier means pivoted on said support means, stop means for limiting pivotal movement of said carrier means, platen engaging bail means pivoted to said carrier means for movement with the carrier means as a unit and for movement relatively to said carrier means when the latter is limited in its movement by said stop means, said relative movement of the bail means providing a plurality of positions of adjustment of the latter with respect to said platen, and spring biased latch means associated with said carrier means and said bail means for yieldably holding the carrier means against one of said stop means and for yieldably holding the bail means in contact with the platen in one position of said adjustment.

5. In a writing machine or the like including a platen, support means at opposite ends of the platen, carrier means pivoted to said support means, platen engaging bail means pivoted to said carrier means for adjustable movement toward and away from said platen, latch means associated with the carrier and bail means, cam edges on each of said bail and latch means, studs on each of said bail and latch means for mutual engagement with said cam edges, and spring means for yieldably maintaining said studs and cam edges in contact and thereby yieldably retaining said bail means in various positions of adjustment.

6. The combination with the platen of a writing machine or the like,l of supports mounted at opposite ends of the platen, carrier means pivoted to each support, means on said supports for limiting forward and rearward pivotal movement of said carrier means, bail means pivoted on said carrier means for adjustable movement against and away from the platen, spring biased latch means for yieldably retaining the bail means in various positions of adjustment, detent means on said latch means and a cam shaped end on said bail means with which said detent coacts to yieldably hold the bail means in contact with said platen.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6, including a cam stud on said bail means and a cam edge on said latch means engaged by said cam stud for providing a yieldable resistance to the pivotal movement of said bail means.

8. The combination with the platen of a writing machine or the like, of supports mounted at opposite ends of the platen, carrier means pivoted to each support, means on said supports for limiting forward and rearward pivotal movement of said carrier means, bail means pivoted on said carrier means for adjustable movement against and away from the platen, spring biased latch means for yieldably retaining the bail means in various positions of adjustment, a cam stud means on said bail means, and a cam surface on said latch means engaged by said stud means for applying yieldable pressure to the pivotal movement of said bail means.

9. The combination with the platen of a writing machine or the like, of supports mounted at opposite ends of the platen, carrier means pivoted to each support, means on said supports for limiting forward and rearward pivotal movement of said carrier means, bail means pivoted on said carrier means for adjustable movement against and away from the platen, spring biased latch means for yieldably retaining the bail means in various positions of adjustment, a cam projection on said bail means forming a seat for the reception of the forward carrier movement limiting means to support the bail in a raised position above the platen, and said cam projection operating to lower the bail means to contact said platen when the bail means is pushed rearwardly.

10. In a writing machine or the like including a platen, support means at opposite ends of the platen, carrier means pivoted to said support means, platen-en- 5 i gagng bail means pivoted to said carrier means for movement with the carrier means as a unit and for movement relatively to said carrier means to provide a plurality of positions of adjustment with respect to said platen, spring biased latch means associated with the carrier means and the bail means for yieldably resisting movement of the carrier means and the bail means, dwell means on said latch means and stud means on the end of said bail means with which said dwell means coacts to i UNITED STATES PATENTS Degener Sept. 16, 1924 Dowd July 28, 1925 Handley Aug. 10, 1926 

